Bits and Pieces of Moonlight
by penni31
Summary: Just some bits and pieces that I have written that didn't really fit into a story. Mick and Beth mostly and some Josef thrown in for good measure.
1. The Morning After The Night Before

Beth Turner looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. Her head throbbed, her skin was pale and her eyes were a little bloodshot. She had showered, brushed her teeth and combed her hair hoping that it would make her feel better and it did. She dressed quickly in yoga pants and a camisole and went back to sit down on the floor in the entry to the bathroom because the cold tiles felt wonderful.

She sat there for a while resting her head on her knees, a cold wet hand towel pressed to her forehead. It must have been some party at Josef's last night; too bad that she couldn't remember all of it. It was the first time that Mick had taken her to party where almost all of the guests were vampires.

"Feeling better?" Mick asked from the doorway.

"Mmmmm," was the only sound that she could get out. If only she could get to her bag for some pain medication. Where was her bag?

"Here, drink this." Beth took the bottled water gratefully and gulped down the contents. She must have been dehydrated from the alcohol in her system and the resulting purging of it over the last hour or so.

"This is why I love you." she said smiling to herself at using the term that her old boss Maureen had used frequently, usually when she had a hot lead on a story.

Mick sat down next to Beth, his bare back resting against the cold tile wall, chuckling. "You love me for bringing you water?"

"No, for sitting with me even when I was throwing up."

"What are guardian angels for? Besides, I was getting lonely waiting for you to come back to bed."

"I'm sorry. Hey, why didn't my guardian angel stop me from drinking so much champagne on an empty stomach?" she looked at him accusingly.

"Beth, do the words 'I'm fine, stop telling me what to do' ring any bells?"

"No, but it sounds like me," they both laughed. "Oww my head hurts." She rested her head back down on her knees while Mick gently rubbed her back.

"Do you remember anything from last night?" he was teasing her now. It wasn't like she couldn't remember anything; just the last part was a little fuzzy. She did remember Mick trying to coax her to drink some water before putting her to bed but not leaving Josef's or the ride home. God she hoped she hadn't disgraced herself in front of Mick's friends.

"Please tell me I didn't do anything embarrassing." She pleaded, hiding her face from him not wanting to look at him in case she had.

"Dancing on the table was probably the worst thing." Beth thought that Mick was enjoying this a little too much. She punched him on the arm.

"I did_ not_ do _that,_" she said looking at him rather indignantly.

"You did, but don't worry everyone had left by then. Josef enjoyed it though." Mick winked at her and watched as she blushed profusely holding her hands over her face.

"Josef..." Beth groaned loudly. It just had to be him didn't it, she would never hear the end of it.

Just then, as if by magic, Josef appeared in the doorway.

"Hi Beth," just when she thought that he was going to be kind and not say anything more he continued "You would have been sensational at Studio 54."

Beth blushed again and wished that the floor would open up and swallow her. The salacious look that Josef was giving her made her move into the safety of Mick's lap. He put his arms around her and she welcomed the protective gesture.

"It was the highlight of the party for me. That and you two making out on the dance floor all night. Every vamp in LA is going to know about it by twilight. That reminds me I'll have to confiscate the security footage."

Beth looked up at Mick who was smiling down at her wriggling his eyebrows confirming what Josef was saying.

"Oh, I think I remember that part." Oh yes, she definitely remembered that part.

"Yeah?"

Beth nodded.

"Good."

They kissed, not caring that Josef was still standing there. They didn't stop until he cleared his throat.

"Hey, a few vamps wanted to know if you two were exclusive." Mick let out a low possessive growl from somewhere deep in his chest and Beth instinctively snuggled closer to him. "Guess that answers that question."

"A few vamps, Josef?" Mick's eyes narrowed menacingly.

Josef looked away uncomfortably for a moment then changed the subject.

"Not that I'm passing judgement but you two have way too many clothes on to be enjoying post sex cuddling. Why the hell are you sitting on the bathroom floor?"

"I'm feeling the effects of a whopper of a hangover. Seems vampires don't have to worry about that. The cold tiles are helping."

"I don't want to point out the obvious but there is a perfectly good freezer in the other room going to waste if it's the cold that you want." Josef's snicker told her that he didn't really expect her to climb in Mick's freezer.

"Funny."

Wishing Josef would make himself scarce Mick asked, "What are you doing here anyway?" He let the fact that Josef had just let himself into the apartment go for the moment. Too bad if he and Beth _had_ been doing anything he thought. He would have to talk to Josef about that later.

Beth hadn't noticed that Josef was carrying her bag and the coat and shoes that she had been wearing at the party. He was also waving around a little bag that had what looked suspiciously like her scarlet satin and lace bra peeking out over the top.

She just didn't want to know why she had taken her bra off at the party. She couldn't look at either of them.

"I thought Beth might like these back. You two left quite suddenly and these got left behind."

"Oh my god!" Beth buried her face into Mick's shoulder horrified, thinking that she had never been more embarrassed in her whole life.

"Josef, you could have sent one of your staff over later with those instead of bringing them yourself." Mick knew that his friend would have not wasted such a good opportunity to pay out on them. It was Josef's way of showing affection. He was used to it but Beth wasn't.

"Yes, I could have but where's the fun in that?"

Beth finally emerged from her sanctuary of Mick's shoulder and Josef couldn't help but get a final dig in. These two were such easy marks. "Don't worry Beth, I noticed the other part of the set on the stairs with your dress on the way up."

Beth's humiliation was now complete.

"Josef, that's enough." Mick growled making it clear that it was time to go.

"I'll leave you two kids alone then. Beth, you have nothing to be embarrassed about my dear, nothing at all" Josef turned to leave.

Mick heard him muttering down the hall on his way out.

"St John, you are one lucky vamp my friend."


	2. Just An Ordinary Friday Night

Mick and Beth walked down the hallway of her apartment building towards her door. They had spent the evening together just having fun and enjoying some time for themselves. They had been to dinner and it was such a beautiful clear night they had decided to take a walk down at the beach. Feeling light hearted Beth had dragged Mick into a games parlour on the pier that had old fashioned pin ball machines. She had challenged him to play and made him promise not to use his vampire abilities. Beth was confident that she could beat him but Mick was just as confident. They had been popular in his era after all and he had been pretty good at it if he did say so himself.

"Mick just admit it. I beat you fair and square." Beth couldn't help but laugh at the put out look on his face that said he was not about to admit defeat. She opened the front door and they entered her apartment. She turned around to face him and gave him a beaming smile.

"No, you cheated," he grumbled. "Where did you learn to play pinball like that anyway?" He helped her take off her jacket. When she turned to face him again her smile had disappeared.

"My Dad loved them. We always had a couple at home in the garage. I used to watch him and he taught me how to play. It was like our special time together," she said wistfully remembering the many hours after school that they spent there, just the two of them, waiting for her mom to get home from work.

"Come on Beth, if you had undone any more buttons on your shirt you may as well have taken it off. I bet your father never taught you that. Every guy in the place couldn't take their eyes off you."

"You call it cheating I call it tactics. It worked huh?" Beth raised her eyebrows at him her smile returned.

"Oh yeah." Mick put his hands around her waist and pulled her close kissing her softly on the lips then found his way to her neck, getting lost in her scent.

Beth closed her eyes for a moment and sighed "Besides, it was pay back for the restaurant." She moved away from him and went and sat down on the couch.

"The restaurant?" Mick questioned as he followed her and sat down next to her.

"Pleeeease, don't pretend that you didn't hear that table of women behind us going on and on about how hot you are." She wasn't mad in fact she had found it quite amusing how uncomfortable it had made him.

"You don't miss much do you?"

"Nope."

"Okay so I heard them but how did you? They weren't sitting that close to us." His eyes narrowed as he looked over at her.

"I overheard them in the ladies room."

"Ahhh..." Mick's chin dropped to his chest as he groaned. He looked up at her and wondered if she was jealous. No she was just making fun of him.

"Let me see, something about drop dead gorgeous, so tall, so sexy, so hot, such beautiful eyes and glorious long eyelashes." She had used her best blonde bimbo voice and was trying hard to keep a straight face. She screwed up her nose at him in that cute way she had. He leaned over to kiss her but she moved away from him just as their lips were about to touch.

"They got the dead part right," she mumbled under her breath. "If only they knew how old you really are."

"Ouch. I'm undead not dead and my age doesn't seem to bother _you_." Mick pulled Beth into his lap, playfully fluttering his eyelashes against her cheek. He knew that woman had always found his expressive eyes and long eyelashes attractive. A devastating smile slowly spread across his face that was just for her and she couldn't have looked away if she wanted to.

"Anyway, I can't help it." His voice was smooth like melted chocolate.

Beth pointed her finger at him then poked him in the chest "Mmmm….exactly." She kissed him quickly then got up and walked over to the kitchen and started to make herself some tea.

"Mmmm …well I guess that explains the kiss as we were leaving huh," he called after her then sighed heavily. "Here I was thinking that you wanted me so badly that you couldn't wait till we were alone."

As they were leaving the restaurant she had noticed that the women were watching his every move. At the door she spontaneously grabbed him and kissed him thoroughly in full view of everyone in the candlelit room. When she started to break away he had pulled her back for another scorching kiss. The discrete coughs and whispered suggestions that they _get a room_ bought them back to reality and she blushed deeply as they left hand in hand.

Beth smiled to herself thinking that the man sure was a great kisser. She had felt an overwhelming need to let those women and anyone else know that he was taken. She didn't notice that he had joined her in the kitchen until she felt his arms wrap around her holding her to him.

"Don't you have to get going?" Mick had told her when he came to pick her up for their date that he had to go and see Josef later on. He wouldn't be staying with her tonight.

Mick turned her around in his arms and said between kisses "Yes but I'd much rather stay here with you." Beth wriggled trying to get away from him but it only made him hold on to her more tightly. They had been flirting with each other all night. It was like they were just a normal couple out laughing and enjoying themselves on a date on a Friday night. He didn't want it to end yet.

Mick's hands found their way under her shirt and he slowly moved them over bare skin. His phone rang but he made no move to answer the call. Still locked in his embrace, Beth fished his phone from the front pocket of his jeans making sure that her fingers lightly brushed over the button fly of his jeans him making him groan loudly.

"It's Josef..."

"Of course it is." Mick grumbled but still didn't make any effort to stop what he was doing.

Beth laughed, after letting it ring a couple more times she pressed the required button and held the phone up to Mick's ear so he could talk.

"Josef..." Still holding on to Beth, his hand brushed the spot on her side that tickled and always made her squirm. She tried to stifle a giggle. Mick smiled down at her looking into her eyes forgetting all about Josef momentarily.

"Mick! Did you hear me?" Josef yelled into the phone.

"What?" Mick mumbled back before regaining some sort of focus on the conversation.

"Where are you?" Josef was all business. Mick wasn't sure what Josef wanted to see him about but judging by the mood he was in it couldn't be good.

Still holding on to Beth he answered. "I'm just dropping Beth at her place then heading over to your office. Relax man."

"Yeah, well say goodnight and get over here, now, we're waiting for you." Josef abruptly ended the call.

Beth returned the phone to his pocket and tried to step back from him.

"Beth…" he almost pleaded. He still didn't want to let her go. She was so warm, so soft and she smelled so good. Her body had been calling to him all evening, the flirting, the kisses at the restaurant, making out at the beach. It wasn't just her body he was craving; it was also her blood. Not in the way that a vampire normally craves blood. He craved the way she made him feel when they made love. Her love and trust, the connection they shared was there for him in her eyes. The bite, the blood, made him feel it more intensely. That famous restraint that he had always relied on when it came to his Beth sure was in short supply tonight.

"I know me too." Her hand caressed his chest. "You can always come back later." she whispered in his ear. She kissed him longingly showing him that she felt the same way then pushed his arms away breaking their embrace. This time he let her go.

"Okay, Okay, later then." Mick kissed her goodbye wanting to get this thing with Josef, whatever it was, over with so he could get back to her.

They headed for the door and after he opened it Mick turned around and said, "Thanks"

"For the date? It was fun."

"Yeah it was but that's not what I meant. Thanks for not asking me about what's going on with Josef. I know that you want to."

"Well, you asked me to trust you so that's what I'm doing. I know that you will tell me about it when you can."

Mick nodded his head smiling down at her. "I will, I promise." He bent down to steal one last kiss. He took a couple of steps down the hall then turned around and walked the rest of the way backwards giving her a big smile.

She watched him knowing that this was how their life together was going to be. He had a responsibility to the vampire community. She knew that and she accepted it. He was also a private investigator so there would always be something that needed his attention. He had his job and she had hers. It made the time they did have together even more precious.

Beth closed the door already counting down the hours until she saw him again.


	3. Mick End Epi 7 Dead Ringer

Beth has just walked away from me after asking if I was disappointed to find out that Morgan was not Coraline.

Be careful what you wish for right?

The truth hurts.

I always tell her that a relationship with me is not possible, that it's difficult, dangerous and complicated. Usually it's to stop her asking so many damn questions.

Well she asked her question and I didn't say a word. She knows me well enough to understand what my silence means. I can't admit to either of us that the answer to that question is …..yes.

She won't understand, especially after what I have just told her about the crazy, insane relationship I shared with my ex wife.

As usual she wanted answers from me that I wasn't prepared to give. Hell I didn't really know what I was feeling, how could I explain it to her?

The idea that Morgan was Coraline meant that I didn't kill my wife, that she found some way to become human again. The possibility of a cure was just too good to be true. What it would mean?

Did I still love her?

Did I ever?

Hell, I just don't know. The whole thing had been a disaster from the beginning.

Josef was right I am just making myself crazy.

I can hear Beth moving around putting on her coat, gathering her things together.

I wait to hear the click of the door closing as she leaves the apartment without saying another word.

The faint clacking of her heels down the hallway and the ding as the elevator doors open and close.

These are the sounds that take her away from me. One of these days she will leave and never come back.

Is this latest drama the thing that will make her realise that I'm really not worth it?

Beth is not, by any stretch of the imagination, the hysterical crying female stereotype but I don't need vampire instincts to know that she is jealous and hurt by my interest in Morgan.

It's just one more thing to add to the long list of things that I have done to hurt her since that day at the fountain.

Every time she knocks on my door there is a part of me that thinks okay this is the day she is going to say thanks but no thanks. That she can't deal with being involved with vampires anymore and that she wants to go back to her normal life.

I can't blame her for that. I have wanted to go back to my normal life for fifty five years. It's too late for me but it's not too late for her.

God, Beth what have we done to you?

What have I done to you?

There are just too many secrets between us.

Has she really suppressed the whole trauma so deeply that she can't put all the pieces together and see the truth about her kidnapping?

Should I just sit her down and tell her everything and let the chips fall were they may?

No, I can't do that. It would really be the end of any kind of relationship with her. I couldn't let her go all those years ago and I know damn well that I can't do it now.

Despite my best efforts to keep her at a distance she has changed something in me that I will never be able to find with anyone else.

She makes me want the happily ever after… no matter how impossible that dream may seem.


End file.
